A beautiful but headstrong colt, Never Bend was one of the best of his generation in the United States even though he did not quite stay Classic distances. He was an even better sire than racehorse and left a lasting legacy on both sides of the Atlantic.

Race record

23starts, 13wins, 4seconds, 4thirds, US$641,524

1962:

Won Champagne Stakes (USA, 8FD, Belmont)

Won Futurity Stakes (USA, 6.5FD, Aqueduct)

Won Cowdin Stakes (USA, 7FD, Belmont)

2nd Arlington-Washington Futurity (USA, 7FD, Arlington Park)

3rd Garden State Stakes (USA, 8.5FD, Garden State)

3rd Sapling Stakes (USA, 6FD, Monmouth)

1963:

Won Flamingo Stakes (USA, 9FD, Hialeah)

Won Yankee H. (USA, 9FD, Suffolk Downs)

2nd Kentucky Derby (USA, 10FD, Churchill Downs)

2nd United Nations Handicap (USA, 9.5FT, Atlantic City)

2nd Woodward Stakes (USA, 10FD, Aqueduct)

3rd Preakness Stakes (USA, 9.5FD, Pimlico)

3rd Long Island Handicap (USA, 9.5FT, Aqueduct)

Honors

American champion 2-year-old male (1962)

Assessments

Highweighted at 126 pounds on the Experimental Free Handicap for American juveniles of 1962, 1 pound above Candy Spots and Crewman.

Rated third among American 3-year-old males of 1963 by The Blood-Horse.

Registered as a dark bay or brown, Never Bend was generally correct with good bone. He had a long neck, well laid shoulders, short coupling, a flat croup and the well-rounded barrel typical of the Nearco line. His only fault was sickle hocks, which he tended to transmit. On the track, Never Bend was game and determined but too headstrong to submit to rating, a characteristic which was probably the primary limit on his stamina. A planned 4-year-old campaign was aborted due to ankle trouble.

As a stallion

Never Bend led the English general sire list in 1971and was among the top 10 American general sires five times, reaching his peak at third in 1970. He was also a very good sire of broodmares, reaching second on the American broodmare sire list in 1984. According to statistics kept by The Jockey Club, hesired 258winners (69.7%)and 61stakes winners (16.5%) from 370namedfoals. Never Bendis a Brilliant/Intermediatechef-de-racein the Roman dosage system.

Never Bend was bred and owned by Captain Harry F. Guggenheim, who raced the colt in the name of his Cain Hoy Stable. He was trained by Woody Stephens. Following his racing career, he was syndicated for US$1,225,000 and entered stud at Spendthrift Farm in 1964. He died in 1977 and was buried at Spendthrift.

Pedigree notes

Never Bend is outcrossed through five generations. He is a full brother to She Alone, dam of stakes winners Strawberry Drive (by Dark Star) and Majestic Belle (by Majestic Prince). He is also halfbrother to 1971 Travers Stakes winner ﻿Bold Reason﻿ (by Hail to Reason), generally considered the second best American 3-year-old male of 1971; to Class Is Class (by Graustark), second dam of Chilean Group II winner Douce and Chilean Group III winner Ile St. Louis; and to Fabled (by Illustrious), dam of New Zealand stakes winner Katemurr, second dam of multiple stakes winner Lou's Bucks and third dam of 2003 Premio Estrellas Distaff (ARG-I) winner Potra Fabulous.

Never Bend's dam Lalun won the 1955 Kentucky Oaks and is a half sister to Be Ambitious (by Ambiorix), dam of stakes winners Artists Proof (by Ribot) and Nanticious (by Nantallah) and second dam of eight stakes winners including 1975 Jockey Club Gold Cup (USA-I) winner Group Plan and 1977 William Hill Futurity (ENG-I) winner Dactylographer. Lalun is also a half sister to Farullah (by Nasrullah), second dam of Grade II winner Bailrullah; to In My Fashion (by Ambiorix), second dam of multiple Grade II winner Az Igazi; and to Be Graceful (by Gray Phantom), dam of stakes winner Graceful Lady (by Noble Commander). Lalun is out of Be Faithful (by Bimelech), winner of the Vanity Handicap against her own sex and the Hawthorne Gold Cup Handicap against males and one of several good producers bred from 1946 Kentucky Broodmare of the Year Bloodroot (by Blue Larkspur).

Books and media

Never Bendis one of 205 stallions whose accomplishments at stud are profiled in Great Thoroughbred Sires of the World(2006, The Australian Bloodhorse Review), a massive reference work written by Jennifer Churchill, Andrew Reichard and Byron Rogers.

Fun facts

Never Bend's juvenile earnings of US$402.968 were a new record for a 2-year-old, breaking the previous record held by First Landing.

Never Bend was the star of Nasrullah's final crop and was one of two posthumous champions in 1962 for the late sire; the other was American champion 3-year-old male Jaipur.